An Indian Air Force Jaguar fighter jet crashed near Jamnagar, Gujarat, during a training mission on Wednesday night. One pilot ejected safely and is in stable condition, while the second pilot is missing. The crash occurred around 9:30 pm in an open field, causing a fire. Authorities are searching for the missing pilot.
The Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft. The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. India's civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border. India's frontline fighter jets including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft are set to feature in the exercise.
The MiG-21's sharp silhouette and supersonic roar will live on in the memories of those who flew it, those who maintained it, and those who watched it streak across the sky as a symbol of India's strength, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Squadron Leader Lokendra Singh Sindhu, an Indian Air Force pilot killed in a Jaguar fighter jet crash, had recently become a father. His family in Haryana was in celebration mode before the tragedy. He leaves behind his wife and a month-old son.
HAL aims to raise output from the current ceiling of 24 aircraft a year to 30 by the end of 2027
Next week's three-nation foreign tour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will see India and Oman sign a free trade deal. The visit will also pave the way for agreements with Ethiopia and Jordan to increase India's bilateral trade and investments.
The IAF is down to 34 squadrons. This will dip to 30 squadrons by the end of this decade, as nine squadrons of MiG-21 and MiG-27s retire.
The Indian Air Force on Friday lost a Jaguar combat aircraft in a crash near Bibber village in Kutch district of Gujarat while on a routine sortie from Bhuj air base.
A Jaguar fighter aircraft on Thursday crashed in Dilahi Firozpur village in this district, killing its pilot and a girl working in a field, the second Indian Air Force plane to meet with an accident this week.
The Indian Air Force on Friday commenced its much-anticipated 'land and go' drill on the 3.5-km stretch of the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, marking a significant milestone in the country's defence preparedness.
Immediately after the take off, it encountered a flock of birds. The bird hit resulted in the failure of one of its engines.
The pilot was identified as Mukhopadhya, police added.
A Jaguar aircraft of Indian Air Force on Wednesday night crashed near Bholasar village in Rajasthan's Bikaner district but the pilot and co-pilot ejected safely.
With Honeywell demanding what Indian Air Force sources term an "exorbitant" price for F-125IN engines, the IAF has told HAL that it has abandoned its plan to upgrade 80 Jaguar fighters with new Honeywell engines, reports Ajai Shukla.
A Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Wednesday crashed in Khalilabad village near Gorakhpur air base minutes after take off, killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant A Singh and injuring three women on the ground.
Air Marshal N A K Browne, a veteran fighter pilot, took over the charge of Western Air Command, the sword arm of the Indian Air Force on Monday.
An IAF spokesman said bad weather is hampering the search and added that no trace has been found yet of the machines or the pilots.
They flew into bad weather during training, an IAF officer said.
Indian Air Force is planning to arm its Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft with long range anti-ship missiles to boost its maritime warfare capability.
A Jaguar fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force crashed in a forest near Lik in Upper Dzongu in North Sikkim on Friday, with the pilot suffering serious injuries.
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returns to Earth after an 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station, marking a significant milestone for India's space program and carrying out crucial scientific experiments.
The Human-rated LVM3 vehicle, the Crew Escape System and the Crew Module and Service Module are all in final stages of testing and integration.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has seen a reduction in fighter squadrons due to the phasing out of ageing MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-27 aircraft. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence acknowledged the "shortage" and highlighted the multi-pronged approach being taken to address it. This includes the induction of indigenous Tejas fighters and the procurement of additional LCA Mk-1A aircraft. The report also addresses concerns over "incidences of spying" within the IAF and details the action taken against those involved.
"Government has decided to appoint Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC presently Vice Chief of Air Staff as the next Chief of the Air Staff," defence ministry's principal spokesperson, said on Twitter.
Glimpses from Day 1 at Aero India 2025 at the Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, February 10, 2025.
The biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX) is aimed at 'validating and refining' the Navy's concept of 'operations' as well as to test overall combat capabilities, officials said on Tuesday.
Both the pilots had ejected, IAF officials said, adding efforts were on to find them.
The Pilotless Target Aircraft Lakshya was used as a support system providing the target for the exercise, defence sources said.
The DARIN-III navigation attack system allows a Jaguar pilot to feed in the coordinates of targets deep inside enemy territory.
Here are glimpses of what to expect at this R-Day parade.
The grandeur and might of the various types of aircraft in the Indian Air Force were on full display on the occasion of the 88th Air Force Day celebrations on Thursday.
After a decade-long wait, the IAF will transform 80 ageing Jaguar fighters into highly capable, multi-role, combat aircraft.
IAF's four fighter pilots undergoing rigorous training for the landmark Gaganyaan mission, and who earned the 'astronaut wings' on Tuesday, have a stellar resume. They have a flying experience in the range of nearly 2,000-3,000 hours and two of them are recipients of the prestigious 'Sword of Honour'.
Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, chief of the air staff, flew a sortie in an IAF Rafale fighter while FASF Chief General Stephane Mille flew in an IAF Su-30MKI fighter.
The commanders are also expected to specifically deliberate on deployment of first batch of around six Rafale fighter jets which are expected to join the IAF's fighter fleet later this month, they said.
The air force has moved its critical frontline assets including the Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter aircraft fleet to advanced positions where they can fly in at a very short notice to carry out operations.
The 17 squadron, which operated from Bhatinda air base, was disbanded in 2016 after the IAF started gradual phasing out of Russian-origin MIG-21 jets. It was formed in 1951 and initially flew de Havilland Vampire F Mk 52 fighters.
The mesmerizing march included elite marching contingents, missiles, warplanes, surveillance gadgets and lethal weapon systems, with French President Emmanuel Macron gracing the occasion as the chief guest.
